TIRUCHY: Activists and local residents voice concerns over the “poor upkeep” of statues by the city corporation. While several statues have been installed by political parties to commemorate birth and death anniversaries of leaders and freedom fighters, regular maintenance are being overlooked, they said.
The city is home to scores of statues, including that of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr BR Ambedkar, VO Chidambaram Pillai, Mutharamalingam Thevar and King Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar.
The city corporation, which is in charge of maintaining them, however, has left them in a state of neglect, say activists and residents. They say the statues are cleaned and washed only on occasions like birth and death anniversaries of the leaders but fades from corporation’s memory soon after the events.
Further, residents said that corporation workers are yet to remove garlands that have gone dry from the statues of Kamaraj, Muthuramalingam and Rajiv Gandhi that are installed at the Central Bus Stand, Indira Gandhi statue at Pudur Four Road Junction and Kamaraj at Chathiram Bus Stand.
Even the area surrounding the statues have not been cleaned. In the aftermath of rains, the garlands have become wet and are emanating an odour, locals say. TNCC functionaries said they lodged complaints about this to corporation officials and requested them to clean the statues, but added no action has been taken so far.
A S Charles, deputy vice president of TNCC, said, “These leaders gave so much to our country. Leaving their statues in such a state is deeply disrespectful. It is not just about cleaning statues but also about preserving history and dignity of those who shaped it. The corporation’s inaction is sending a wrong message to public.”
“Not only are garlands left to rot but garbage is also being dumped around statues. Several corporation officials pass by the statues daily, but they fail to notice their condition. The corporation tends to clean the statues only a day before the birth or death anniversaries of the leaders, and neglecting regular maintenance. Even schoolchildren who walk past the statues ask why they look so dirty,” said T Babu of Raja Colony. When contacted, a senior corporation official promised to look into the issue.